Tuesday, February 28: HDG National Summit Digs Deep on Detail

Today began with a breakfast with Summit sponsors. Thanks to all our 2017 sponsors for their generous support which makes this event possible.

After breakfast, we split into two concurrent tracks of presentations and discussions. Track one featured presentations titled Leveraging the Value Proposition of Community Medicine and The Dynamics of Preferred Network Development.

To start things off, HDG’s Brent Feorene and Martha Twaddle of JourneyCare led an engaging discussion about how healthcare organizations and leaders can leverage the value of community medicine. Feorene and Twaddle explained how the change toward value-based healthcare has accelerated the rise of community medicine. Bringing medical care into the community (and beyond the doors of a single facility) has proven to deliver timely healthcare access and collaborative, team-based care.

As Twaddle pointed out, “Robust care in the home is a must’ in a patient-centered model that empowers and keeps readmissions low.”

The second session of track one, which included experts from around the country, tackled “The Dynamics of Preferred Network Development.” The discussion focused on the drive to value-based reimbursement for acute care facilities. Health organizations shared how they are responding to these challenges by going beyond the walls of their facilities to build partnerships, especially in skilled nursing facility networks.

The key takeaway? Acute care facilities need to identify alt-acute providers for collaboration, resource investment and partnership – and many organizations are already leading this charge.

Meanwhile, participants in track two learned about Developing Your Consumer Driven Service Line and The Growing Role of Medicare Special Needs Plans.

Preston Gee of Christus Health and Erin Shvetzoff Hennessey of HDG led things off by sharing their tips on how to develop a consumer-driven service line. It is widely known that as the U.S. changes the way healthcare is paid for and delivered, consumers have become more involved in their healthcare spending and outcomes.

Gee and Shvetzoff Hennsessey shared some examples of the many strategies organizations have adopted to put consumers front and center, while developing consumer-driven lines of service. Gee commented that the strategy for their success at Christus has been that “we listened and we sought out information to learn what it is that matters.”

Next, Tom Coble of Elmbrook Management Company shared valuable insights into the growing role of Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which have grown along with Medicare Advantage Plans. Did you know that Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown by 30% over the last five years?

Coble shared how SNPs work and keys to successful contracting, as well as how these plans fit into our nation’s emerging value-based payment landscape.

Following lunch (and some much appreciated sun peeking through!), we re-convened and capped off the day with an intensive about Owning the Risk: A Journey into Value-Based Transformation, which was moderated by HDG’s Brian Ellsworth. Beth Carlson, HDG, discussed the elements of setting the stage for value-based payment: continued expansion, recognizing other payers are climbing on board and understanding know-how is critical.”

But, “the past does not equal the future,” said Donna Mueller of Avamere, “you must build competencies for rising acuity.” Across the country, healthcare organizations are engaging in value-based transformation that is improving quality and lowering costs.

The experts shared their distinct perspectives on why their organizations chose to undergo a value-based transformation, what challenges and successes they faced, and what they anticipate for the future of this transformative trend.

It was a full and productive day at the Summit! The energy here is palpable and the healthcare leaders in attendance are truly at the leading edge of innovative solutions for post-acute care’s most critical challenges.